Through Thick and Thin
by tphoneyy
Summary: Anne, a new teacher at Central, finds herself caught in a mess that involves the military, alchemy, homunculus, and romance. Can she handle hell that is Central, or will love overcome her fears? HavOC. Rated T for safety.
1. That Devilish Grin

**Summary: Anne, a new teacher at Central, finds herself caught in a mess that involves the military, alchemy, homunculus, and romance. Can she handle hell that is Central, or will love overcome her fears? HavOC**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist or any of its characters. **

**Through Thick and Thin**

The sky was crystal clear and the sun shone bright. The air was so refreshing and the sun's rays seemed so inviting. Roy Mustang sat on the other side of the window, wishing he could be out there enjoying the air rather than stuck in his stuffy office, signing papers. He looked at the stack of paper on his desk apathetically. If Riza Hawkeye wasn't there, he'd assign some mission for him and the men to escape the stuffy confines of Central. But, she was there and she was watching like hawk.

"Colonel," she warned on cue, "Those papers aren't going to sign themselves. It's just a few papers Sir. All you have to do is sign."

He didn't respond. What was the point? No matter his response, Riza would hassle him into doing his paperwork. He grabbed the pen he had haphazardly thrown on the ground and signed the first paper his desk, barely skimming the first sentence. Paper after paper, they were all the same thing. He signed the papers. His signature was a messy scribble on the paper, but he didn't mind; a messier signature was easier to forge and it was easier for his subordinates to mimic when he couldn't finish his paperwork in time. He looked up at his subordinates with a grin.

His men were the best; they had stuck together through thick and thin. They were united as a team, and strong. Like chess pieces, they all relied on one another; everyone had their own talents. Even he, the King, needed his team to function. He watched as Sergeant Major Kain Fuery, the youngest of his team, was going through his miniscule pile of paperwork. Fuery could contact anyone with any information is no time flat. He was a communications expert and his Pawn.

Next to Fuery sat Second Lieutenant Breda. Despite his meathead appearance, he was an expert strategist with a brain sharper than the Fuhrer's swords. Roy watched as his Rook, Breda, signed papers with slight disinterest. Roy wasn't the only one who hated paperwork.

Second Lieutenant Vato Falman spoke with the young Feury, ignoring the work laid out on his desk. Falman, his Bishop, had a memory that rivaled Sciezka, Central's bookkeeper. It was Falman's unique ability to remember detail that had interested him initially. But, no matter how great his memory, he had to be the worst soldier in combat.

That was where Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc, his knight, came in. Havoc was on the strongest combat soldiers he had ever met. He wasn't always the brightest soldier, but what he lacked in brains, he made up with bullets and muscle. Jean casually smoked a dying cigarette. It was only his second cigarette that day, and more were bound to shrivel to bits.

Havoc and Breda joined the conversation with Falman and Breda; they were talking about Havoc's failure of a love life. The poor soldier, even with his blonde hair, blue eyes, and rippling muscles, couldn't hold onto a girlfriend for more than a few days. The girls he met always left him…For Roy. Roy chuckled to himself; he had stolen many girlfriends from Havoc as if he were a kleptomaniac, towards women of course. It wasn't his fault though; Havoc had just gotten unlucky and picked girls that Roy himself was interested in. He continued listening until a sharp, though feminine voice cut in, stopping the conversation midway.

First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, his queen and most adored subordinate spoke to the rest of his team calmly. He was as she casually polished the guns that rested in his leather holster; it was an obvious, but powerful method of intimidation. Everyone in Amestris knew to fear the Hawk's eye. Riza was a sharpshooter. Simply put, she never missed a shot unless she intended to. The weapons specialist put away her gun and eyed Roy warily, her eyes drifting from the piles of paper on his desk to the pile on hers. Unlike Roy and the rest of his team, she was always the first one finished with paperwork. She was the perfect soldier, and he was grateful for her. She was his personal bodyguard as well as his long time friend. She accompanied him everywhere and assisted him in many things, no matter how menial. This also included the paperwork.

He recalled the times he and Riza had spent extra hours just signing papers. Oh, he would always remember that night. The night it was just he and Riza in the office, sitting close together. Their hands would occasionally brush and he'd watch as she pulled away quickly, a slight blush forming on her cheeks. Oh, he would always remember those moments they were alone. He relished in his memories, unaware of the annoyed Lieutenant standing in front of his desk.

"Colonel!" she said loudly, snapping at him. He snapped out of his trance, glad to see Riza in front of him.

"Did you need something Lieutenant?" he asked, resting his head on his propped arms. She breathed out heavily. 

"If you had listened to me 5 minutes ago, you would already know sir…"

"Oh really?" he asked, feigning interest. Riza cocked an eyebrow at him; he was always like this. Roy Mustang had a short attention span and disinterest in almost everything work related.

"Yes sir, you have a visitor who seems to know you. She was sent by Madame Christmas."

Roy sighed heavily. Anyone or anything related to Madame Christmas meant business. He responded, "Send them in."

Riza nodded and picked up the phone, mumbling a few short responses before hanging up abruptly. As interested as he was in the blonde Lieutenant, Roy had other things on his mind. Madame Christmas, his adoptive mother, rarely sent him visitors. She was his informant. He wasn't always one hundred percent sure how, but she seemed to know everything. Everything he asked about, she could answer to the slightest degree, military related or not. In fact, he recalled her knowing about military cases he wasn't even sure about.

His head shot up upon hearing the light knocking on the door. Riza abruptly stood up from her desk to open the door, moving to the side so the visitor could enter. Roy's eyes widened in surprise upon seeing the woman in front of him. 

"Anne?" he asked, watching the familiar figure approach him, her face becoming more and more familiar. Her long black hair was pulled up in a loose bun at the nape of her neck, side swept bangs and loose strands of hair framed her heart shaped face. Her eyes, as dark as Onyx, contrasted the light pink of her lips and cheeks as well as her pale skin. She was short; her tiny frame made her look childish, but her attire said otherwise. She wore a navy button adorned crisp, white collared shirt which was tucked into her tight, but modest knee length skirt. Along with the short, black heels, she looked professional and reserved. Nothing like the Anne he knew.

"Roy!" she cried, rushing to his side to hug him. He immediately stood up and they embraced each other lovingly. Those who didn't know their relationship would think they were lovers. Unfortunately for him, his teammate thought along those same lines. He cleared his throat and turned Anne around to face his quiet and confused team.

"Men," he said, "This is Anne Mustang, one of my sisters."

Immediately, the silence ended as Fuery jumped up to introduce him, and the rest of team to the woman.

"Nice to meet you Ms. Mustang," he said cheerfully, "I am Sergeant Major Kain Fuery, and this is Second Lieutenant Breda, Falman, and Havoc. And the one who opened the door for you, that's First Lieutenant Hawkeye."

Anne smiled, gratefully for the Sergeant's introduction. She gave everyone a once over, matching names and faces until she memorized their names and any details she could extract. The smallest details made all the difference, so she noted everything from the cigarette in Havoc's mouth to the bulge from what seemed like a holster under Hawkeye's military jacket.

"What brings you to Central?" Roy asked, taking a seat at his desk. He gestured to the open seat on the other side of his large desk. Upon command, Anne sat down, noticing how quiet Roy's team had become. They were eavesdropping, no doubt about it yet she spoke anyways, "I've been transferred from the west," she explained, "Central in need of a teacher at the children's academy. Apparently, the teacher for the younger students retired recently so I jumped in on the opportunity."

She was a teacher, a young one at that and she used that towards her advantage. She argued how her young age made her more tolerable to children and her age made her seem more approachable. That and the fact that her competition were old, outdated men more interested in a higher paycheck than the education of the future. Anne, though she would enjoy the raise, was more concerned about education. She had been exposed to a rich education from her childhood. The minute Madame Christmas adopted her; she was pushed to gain knowledge. She was Madame Christmas' smartest child; she was the only the pursued education to such a degree.

"I see," Roy said, trying to remember the teacher who had retired. He remembered scanning a document about it, but failed to actually read the document. He signed it, and the useless document was out of his mind forever, or so he thought. He chuckled for he was probably the one who approved her transfer.

"I stopped by Madame Christmas and she told me to come tell you. She said you would be exuberated and excited to hear the news," she added, "But something tells me you've got more important things to tend to, like that enormous stack of paperwork on your desk."

Roy eyed the stack wearily. The stack never shrunk, it continually grew and grew to his dismay. But he paid no attention to his work; his younger sister was here and he was going to give her a tour around Central. That would be a good excuse; Riza wouldn't be able to scold him for escorting his sister around Central. It was a dangerous place, especially with free lance state alchemists and armed criminals running around.

"Pay no attention to it. I'll have it done after I give you a tour around Central."

"Are you sure? You seem busy Roy. I can come back another time."

"No, no!" he assured, trying to escape the work piled on his desk, "This isn't too much work at all! Just a few papers to sign and I'm done."

He then regretted his words.

Riza approached him slowly, staring him down. Were those not the same exact words she said to him earlier? She grabbed the pen on his desk and shoved it into his hand, not concerned about the confused teacher across from her. She was not going to spend another long night signing papers for the Colonel, no matter how much she enjoyed their time together. What was the point of being together if they had to work?

"Colonel," she began, "Though I am not your commanding officer, I strongly recommend you finish your paperwork first before attending to any outside matters. It's only a few papers to sign anyways, right?"

Roy slumped in his chair in defeat. Riza was right, she was always right. He looked at his younger sister apologetically.

Anne sat in her chair uncomfortably. Suddenly, the tension in the room was ten times thicker. She doubted her brother's position as commanding officer for the woman before him was much more intimidating and commanding. She noted the apologetic look in her Roy's eyes. Her doubts were confirmed; this woman wore the pants in the relationship. Hawkeye, the first Lieutenant as she recalled, turned to her. She too had an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your personal meeting the Colonel, but he's busy at the moment," she said, turning to face Anne directly, "Would you be interested in having another officer conduct the tour? I believe Second Lieutenant Havoc is available."

Anne turned around, scanning the group for Lieutenant Havoc. He was the blonde with the cigarette, she recalled. Lieutenant Havoc stood up lazily at the door waiting for Anne's approval; the cigarette was still clamped his mouth.

"Oh, I would very much appreciate that Ms. Hawk-, uh, Lieutenant."

"You can call me Riza," Riza said, smiling. Anne grinned back, slightly shocking the Lieutenant. It was the same signature smirk her Colonel usually wore.

"Only if you call me Anne," Anne responded, heading towards Havoc. Riza watched as the black haired woman left the room, the door shutting lightly behind her. She was Roy's blood sister alright. It wasn't just the slight Xing-like features she shared with the Colonel, it was the smirk. The professional mask she wore would fade eventually, it started the minute she unleashed that devilish grin.

"Sir?"

Roy looked up from his desk, happy to be interrupted from paperwork.

"Yes?" he responded. Riza was silent for a moment, but she turned around, a faint smile graced her usually stoic face.

"She's your real kin, isn't she?"


	2. A Warm Welcome

**Summary: Anne, a new teacher at Central, finds herself caught in a mess that involves the military, alchemy, homunculus, and romance. Can she handle hell that is Central, or will love overcome her fears? HavOC**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist or any of its characters. **

**Through Thick and Thin**

Chapter 2: A Warm Welcome

"Well Ms. Mustang, welcome to Central," Havoc said, escorting Anne out of the military base. Anne stepped out. The last time she had been in Central was the end of her academy years and things had certainly changed, especially the military men. She quickly looked back at her escort and frowned. He was young and handsome; she didn't expect so many men to be so young. She remembered the young Fuery who had introduced himself with such gusto. Men like him didn't belong on a side of a line, armed with a gun, killing people. She couldn't bring herself to imagine Fuery being a murderer. He didn't have the eyes of a killer.

She followed Havoc down the steps and away from the base, leading her straight into the social heart of Central, the marketplace. Everything had changed, Central was, simply put, alive. She watched excitedly at the hustle and bustle of city life. Central was filled with people, young and old. She followed Havoc as he expertly navigated his way through the city, but she found it hard to keep up. Maybe a tour during lunch hour wasn't the greatest of ideas.

"Lieutenant!" she called, reaching out to grab his arm. He turned his head and grinned; he continued to walk.

"Touching me already? You don't even know my name yet ma'am," he said playfully, though slowing down for her sake. Anne smile didn't falter; instead she smirked and grabbed his arm with even more intensity. Jean watched the woman before him with amusement. Ms. Mustang was much different from Anne. The Ms. Mustang he met was shy, uptight, and obviously a teacher. The Anne he was escorting now was daring, fun, attractive.

No, no. He shouldn't to think of her that way so soon. But… This was one woman the Colonel couldn't, in a sense, steal. He grinned. She was his sister; the only thing he could do was… fire him. The grin on his face quickly faded. As the Colonel's younger sister, she was considered forbidden fruit, and he didn't want to lose his job yet. But Havoc let his gaze roam over the woman before him. Though a bit disheveled from fighting the crowds, she still managed to look reserved. Although she wasn't as full figured as many of the ladies he had "befriended", she was lean, even muscular under her clothes. Her small hips stood out under the tight fabric of her skirt. He watched them sway as she powered past people to make her way towards him.

Maybe it was worth losing his job anyways? He watched her with interest until she reached him.

"I don't want to get lost in the big city…"

"Jean," he said, taking her arm and maneuvering her out of the crowd. He grinned when she followed without hesitation.

"Jean," she repeated. He was French.

When they finally made their way out of the crowds, she released his arm. Taking a spot next to him, she followed him as he showed her the marketplace while avoiding the masses of people. As he led her around, she noticed a trend: Jean Havoc was good at pointing out restaurants and bars.

He was a womanizer, like her older brother.

It made sense. A man like him was sure to attract a lot of women. He was French, tall, blonde, muscular, a military man. Now she was curious; she wanted to know more about the man beside her. She asked Jean to stop somewhere, claiming she was "tired." She was far from tired. She was excited, she loved learning. Jean, being the gentleman he was, led her to a café right on the outskirts of the marketplace and sat her down at a table. The waiter, a busty, blonde woman walked straight up to the table, a frown on her face.

"Jean," she stated dryly. Anne held back a chuckle. Who was this woman? According to the expression on her face, she was most likely a former flame. The woman didn't even ask Jean for his order; instead she scribbled on her notepad and turned to face Anne. Jean must have come here often.

"And you?" she asked wryly. Yes, the woman most likely was a former flame, most likely one that didn't like seeing her ex-flame with another woman. Anne ordered a glass of water and focused her attention on Jean. He was staring towards the direction of the blonde, a scowl on his face. Call it a sin, but Anne wanted to know more about Jean's relationship with the woman.

"Thinking about something?" she asked casually. He broke from his trance and averted his attention to her. He spit out the cigarette that had long died out and shook his head.

"Nothing particularly interesting," he said, "Just thinking about work and stuff."

Lie.

"Oh really?" she said, feigning interest. "That blonde woman sure was pissed at something…"

She noticed the flash in Havoc's eye. She was on the right track.

"Nah, it's nothing too big," he said, "Just an old friend…"

"Old friends don't treat each other like that."

Havoc grinned and responded, "Nosy aren't cha?"

Anne smiled innocently, "I'm a teacher, I love teaching students. But I love learning too. It's in my nature to ask questions and be curious. Does that bother you?"

"Nope," he said, "But you better watch where you stick your nose here in Central. Not everyone is lenient as I am."

She ignored his warning and continued their conversation.

"So, tell me something about yourself."

"Me? I'm nothing exciting. My parents own a general shop. I'm a simple military man with simple needs. Know what? Let's get to know you," he said, changing the subject to one he would enjoy, "Tell me about yourself."

"Well, I'm assuming that you're interested in Roy and I. I don't know the details exactly, but Madame Christmas said that her brother, my father, was ill and couldn't take care of Roy and I. Apparently, my mother died after giving birth to me. After father's death, Madame took us in and took care of us. The minute she adopted us, she gave us all an education.

"Roy became interested in fighting and alchemy while I was interested in knowledge. Madame always said that if Roy and I were combined, we would be the ideal citizen: the educated military citizen trying to better Amestris and save it at the same time. But we're not very similar. I mean, Roy was a good student, but I was way ahead of him. He was older than me, but I was in the same grade level as him. I skipped a few grades here and there, and graduated early. Then I continued learning and I eventually started teaching in the West.

"Now here I am, in Central, ready to teach and learn more. I love teaching, I love learning. I don't like violence at all; the only violence I really approve of is self-defense. Even then, I don't consider that violence. I appreciate the military, but I feel like there are alternative methods of peace.

"The whole Ishvalan war killed me. When Roy told me he was going out to fight in the war I was so mad at him. I told him that if he went out to Ishval, then he would lose everyone and everything. He would lose Madame Christmas, the sisters, and he would lose me. I told him he'd lose his humanity, his sanity, and his soul… But he went out anways, and that was the last time I spoke with him since earlier today.

"When I was approved for the transfer, I immediately contacted the Madame since she currently lives here. She told me that Roy was transferred here as well after his promotion and that I should go visit him. I almost didn't want to, but she told me that I was the only family Roy had and he was the only family I had. And it hit me how much I missed my brother… So I came to visit him, only to see he has a new family: you and the team."

Anne stopped speaking to sip on the glass of water before her. She looked at Havoc, waiting for a reaction. He was still; it was the first time he heard of her. He then asked, "Why hasn't the Colonel said anything about you?"

Anne took a deep breath. She knew why, and she hated it.

"Well," she began, "before he left for the war and I told him he would lose everything and me, I also told him to not bother remembering me. I said 'If you're going to sell your soul to the military, then do it! But don't expect me to be the same as before. If you join the military and leave for Ishval, then say your final goodbye. I don't want to mourn over a dead brother, I don't want to lose my only family.'

So he apologized and just left. I'm assuming he didn't mention me because… it hurt. But when I walked in today, I didn't expect him to act so casual. I almost expected a lovely, sentimental brother-sister moment and crying. But it never happened so I blew it off and pretended it wasn't a big deal."

"Huh," was Jean's only response. She looked out the window and stared into the darkness outside. He left a bill on the table, and gestured to Anne to follow him. Though she was confused on where they were going, she followed him anyways. She wasn't too well acquainted with Central to be venturing around on her own. She followed him out of the shop in silence, watching him maneuver his way through the maze of Central. After a few minutes of walking, she found herself back at Central, with Jean holding the door open. He led her to Roy's office and let her in. She saw Roy slipping on his coat, getting ready to leave.

Roy looked up with a smile, "Oh you're back?"

Anne was about to respond when Havoc spoke up, "I'll let you two have your moment." The door slammed shut. Anne stared at the door for a second and back at Roy, who stood in silence. The two siblings stared at each other, finally relishing each other's presence.

"It's been so long…" Anne mumbled. Roy nodded and removed his jacket, carelessly throwing it on the floor. He made his way towards Anne and surprised her with a tight embrace. Though she was a little slow to react, she hugged him back, fighting the tears that threatened to spill down her face. The two hugged in silence; words were not needed.

"I'm sorry," Roy said solemnly. Anne shook her head and retorted, "You're an idiot. I'm the one that's sorry. I was acting all high and mighty, like I knew how to run the world and demanded things from you that you couldn't offer."

"The war changed me," he admitted, sitting on the couch against the nearby wall. Anne joined him.

"I saw so many people die," he said, "and I was the reason for so many deaths. My flames, my alchemy were the cause of so many people's death. I'm a murder. I thought going into the war would help and save Amestris. I thought the Ishvalans were bloodthirsty. If they were to attack Madame Christmas, or the sisters, or you, I never would have forgave myself. So I went out to fight, so I wouldn't have to see anyone get hurt.

"But I saw so many get hurt. Anne, you were right. There must have been another way to deal with the war without killing so many. I've learned so much about the war lately and about the Ishvalans. Death scares us all. It makes us all do crazy things. Death and fear will drive us all insane."

Anne sat with her brother who had his face buried in his hands; he had changed. On the outside, he was the same Roy, but on the inside… Roy Mustang had been affected by the war in horrible ways.

"It's okay Roy. We've all done things we regret, but we have to live with them and move on. We're not god, we're not perfect. We're humans. The best thing we can do is stand with each other," Anne said, grabbing her brother's hand, "I'm here for you. I'm family; nothing can ever take that away."

Roy smiled and looked up at the young woman before him. She had grown up too much and he regretted not being there to watch her. But she was right. He spoke.

"It wasn't easy moving on… Being part of the military, you get reminded of your sins all the time. They call me 'The Hero of Ishval.' I hate being called that; I don't feel like a hero."

"You may not feel like a hero," Anne said, "but you're a hero to me. You're the perfect older brother, so stop being so down."

They grinned in unison, their similar signature smirks were a constant reminder of their siblinghood. Taking her hand, Roy led her out of the military base and into his car.

"Where are you staying?" he asked. She grinned sheepishly.

"Well, I was planning on staying at Madame's for a while… Female teachers don't make as much money as Colonels, you know," she said. Roy shook his head.

"We'll get your bags, you can stay with me."

Anne smiled. Just like old times, she mused.


End file.
